SPECIAL EDITION
Tuesday, December 29, 2020
Have you ever had one of those days on quarantine, but you thought you could feel any more quarantine-y than you did at that very moment, but then the government comes out of nowhere with news that they’re giving you a dose of even more quarantine? Don’t even tell me that you didn’t, because that’s EXACTLY what happened on Sunday to me, you, and everyone else in Panama.
So, I was supposed to be on a well-deserved vacation this week, but noooooouuooooo, the frickin government had to ruin it for me. So, if I have to suffer by going back to work, you all get to suffer by having to listen to my whiny rants about how my amazing wood projects just got put on hold. I’m disguising the rant by calling this a “Special Edition report”.
First of all, we were given quarantine for a total of 4 days, the weekend of Christmas and the weekend of New Years… …nope, hold on, whoops, just kidding, actually that’s SIX days, 3 on the Christmas weekend and 3 on the New Years weekend.
And, during the week prior and the one in between, everyone can go out, except if you want to shop, it has to be done by gender… …and don’t get me started on the gender fluid complaints that were made immediately after the announcements.
Having been off that gender-only kick for a few months now, I wasn’t paying attention to the fact that it was a Wednesday, when I stopped by one of the Foodies in Punta Pacifica to get some special machine teas for my guys in the office. With only one foot in the door, I was halted by a resounding “Only women today, sir!”… …her name-tag literally had “Karen” engraved on it and I first had to stop, looking for hidden cameras. Realizing she was serious, I took a step back to the great outdoors empty handed with a big ol’ frowny-face. “No tea for you”, I’ll have to tell them.
So, on Sunday, some Whatsapp-enabled Powerpoint images started circulating indicating that we were going on another full shutdown from 4-14 January… …however, not an hour later, that was followed up by the same image with “FALSO” emblazoned across its face. “Whew, Fake News. I almost totally fell for that one.” However, at 6PM that same evening, the MINSA Minister Sucre came out CONFIRMING that the reported Fake News, wasn’t fake at all. “You’ve gotta be shitting me!?”, was literally the only knee-jerk thought my mind could process at the time. I’m still having a hard time to understand how we got to this point again.
The bottom line is that we are on quarantine again folks. There’s no pretty way to say that. We are FULL QUARANTINE with just about everything shut down except emergency services on the weekends of New Years as well as the 9-10 of January.
The other days within the 4-14th of January will be the by-gender/by-respective hour system that we’ll explain later. Sure, there are some who will get to work, and that list is here as well, but chances are, it ain’t you, so stay home. The list is large, but it’s the same, non-essential list that we had back at the beginning of the reopenings of commerce. No retail stores, no Parque Omar, no tourism, no common sense whatsoever. I work with a lot of commerce stores. A few thousand people were rehired to work just in the clothing stores, and just for a few months. Now, just after we all got done foolishly spending money and just before “Back to School” shopping starts, this entire group of minimum wagers are getting screwed again. Let’s not forget the stores themselves who now have to figure out what to do with their recently re-hired staff, while not making a dime for two weeks.
If you’ll note, the extended quarantine is January 4-14… …the 14th is a Thursday. I’m sure that there will be another announcement around the 7th about what happens on the 15th of January, which is a Friday. That would have been a payday weekend if anyone would have been able to work and if people are allowed to leave out, there will be a rash of morons going crazy, filling stores and beaches like they’re going out of style. (OK, just to be clear, I’m not calling everyone a moron, I’m just calling the morons, morons.)
So that’s about it for now. I hope the following information clears things up for you. I’m clear that I’ll have more time for my home-improvement projects coming up. This is NOT good for the economy, security or most peoples’ sanity, but my wood shop is looking SPECTACULAR.
TOP NEWS and TIDBITS
Yoli’s Wisdom
TOTAL QUARANTINE AND MOBILITY RESTRICTION IN PANAMA AND PANAMA WEST
From January 4 to January 14:
Total Quarantine and 8:00 p.m. Curfew to 5:00 a.m. for the Provinces of Panama and Panama Oeste. No working hours.
For the rest of the provinces the curfew is maintained at 7:00 p.m.
To reduce at least half of the people who circulate in streets, neighborhoods and shops, days of authorized departures are assigned according to gender and hours by the last number of the identity card, establishing the following scheme:
THE PERMITTED SHOPS WILL OPEN UNTIL 7:30 P.M.
| If the last number of your ID or passport ends in | You can buy at |
|---|---|
| 7 | 7:00 a.m. (6:30 a.m. – 8:30 a.m.) |
| 8 | 8:00 a.m. (7:30 a.m. – 9:30 a.m.) |
| 9 | 9:00 a.m. (8:30 a.m. -10:30 a.m.) |
| 0 | 10:00 a.m. (9:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.) |
| 1 | 1:00 p.m. (12:30 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.) |
| 2 | 2:00 p.m. (1:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.) |
| 3 | 3:00 p.m (2:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.) |
| 4 | 4:00 p.m. (3:30 p.m. 5:30 p.m.) |
| 5 | 5:00 p.m. (4:30 p.m. 6:30 p.m.) |
| 6 | 6:00 p.m. (5:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.) |
Only men circulate, the days: Tuesday and Thursday
Saturday 9 and Sunday 10 January
TOTAL QUARANTINE nationwide. WITHOUT WORKING DAY.
– On Saturday, January 9, the entry of (1) person per family will be allowed to cemeteries and crypts.
From January 4 to 14: All adults over 60 years old and people with disabilities, regardless of their ID number, can go shopping between 11:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. Under the same format:
- WOMEN will circulate on Monday, Wednesday and Friday.
- MEN will circulate on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
They may be accompanied by their life assistant regardless of their gender.
THE EXCEPTIONS OF DECREE 507, REMAIN IN FORCE.
New measures to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 in Panama
From December 28 to 31:
It governs full working hours throughout the country.
- Curfew continues at 7:00 p.m.
- Shopping in stores is allowed, by gender (Women: Monday and Wednesday – Men: Tuesday and Thursday). Stores must close at 5:00 p.m. to allow staff to arrive home before 7:00 p.m.
From December 31 to January 4, 2021:
Total quarantine throughout the national territory. No working hours.
- The total forty is effective from Thursday, December 31 at 7:00 p.m. until January 4 at 5:00 a.m.
From January 4 to January 14:
Total quarantine and curfew from 8:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m. for the Provinces of Panama and Panama Oeste. No working hours.
For the rest of the provinces the curfew is maintained from 7:00 pm. and only the gender restriction applies.
- During the Total Quarantine you will only be allowed to go out to make purchases exclusively of food and medicine in: supermarkets, grocery stores and pharmacies. They will also open hardware stores, veterinary clinics, fuel stations and other essential services.
Allowed establishments will open until 7:30 p.m.
- Purchases will be made according to the day that corresponds by gender and departure time according to the last number of the identity card.
- The sanitary fences remain in effect from January 4 at 5 a.m. until January 14 at 5 a.m.
Saturday 9 and Sunday 10 January:
Total quarantine nationwide, with no exits.
- Saturday, January 9, one (1) person per family will be allowed to enter cemeteries and crypts.
To order selective transportation (taxis) and strengthen the strategy to reduce infections, from January 4 to January 14 at 5:00 a.m. The last license plate number will govern, in pairs and odd, as follows:
| January Days | EVEN number plates | ODD number plates |
|---|---|---|
| Jan 4-8 | Monday, Wednesday and Friday | Tuesday and Thursday |
| Jan 9 and 10 | Total Quarantine | Total Quarantine |
| Jan 11 to 14 | Tuesday and Thursday | Monday and Wednesday |
During the mobility restriction, the curfew and the total quarantine provided in the Executive Decree No. 1686 of December 28, 2020, the following institutions, people, activities and companies are excepted:
- The members of the Public Force;
- Public servers. dedicated to attending the emergency nationwide; senior officials of the Executive Branch; Deputies, Mayors, Representatives of the corregimiento; personnel from the Ministry of Health and the Social Security Fund; personnel of the Meritorious Fire Department of Panama; personnel from the National Civil Protection Service (SINAPROC) and SUME 911; the Institute of National Aqueducts and Sewers (IDAAN); the Urban and Home Cleaning Authority of Panama (AAUD); operational staff of the Civil Aviation Authority (AAC); staff of the National Customs Authority that provides services in ports, airports and customs areas; personnel from the National Migration Service (SNM) who provide services in ports, airports, checkpoints and shelters; operational staff of the Authority for Consumer Protection and Defense of Competition (ACODECO); personnel of the Panama Maritime Authority (AMP), who provide services in ports; personnel of the Transit and Land Transportation Authority (ATTT); staff of the Superintendencies of Banks, Securities, Insurance, Non-Financial Subjects; Notaries Public; and personnel of any other essential public service, in this case, with prior authorization from the health authority;
- Health personnel; medical, administrative and operational personnel of hospitals, mobile emergencies, medical attention centers, clinics and medical laboratory personnel, whether public or private.
- Suitable lawyers for the exercise of the defense of persons detained for incidents that are registered within the period of restriction of mobility, the curfew and the total quarantine; who carry out procedures before the Judicial Branch, the Public Ministry, Administrative Justice Authorities, and those who are providing service in public agencies that maintain active procedures that require the presence of the lawyer, as long as they present the proper documentation for the management to perform. For their due mobility, it is up to the lawyer to show the suitability issued by the Fourth Chamber of General Business of the Supreme Court of Justice, which accredits her as a legal professional;
- Veterinary clinics and services;
- Metro de Panama and Mi Bus, its administrative and operational staff if like the staff of contractor companies that provide services;
- Public, collective and selective transport, for health and labor reasons. Similarly, the transport contracted to mobilize the employees of the companies included in the exceptions;
- Personnel of the Panama Canal Authority (ACP), and personnel of its critical contractors who are duly identified, according to the coordination established with the institution, for the purposes of adopting the legal provisions under its special legal regime;
- Personnel from Empresa Nacional de Autopistas (ENA) and Madden-Colon, S.A., its suppliers and subcontractors;
- Personnel of Aeropuerto Internacional de Tocumen, S.A., its suppliers, subcontractors and activities related to air operations;
- Marcos A. Gelabert, S.A. International Airport staff, its suppliers, subcontractors and activities related to air operations;
- Airline personnel and related activities;
- Passengers who enter the national territory or must leave it, presenting the respective plane ticket and / or carrying their passport;
- Passengers who must move within the national territory, presenting the respective plane ticket and / or carrying their passport;
- Pharmaceutical industry, pharmacies, drugstores and any other articles and supplies of public health, including the manufactures, suppliers and maintenance of the same;
- Cleaning companies and companies dedicated to the production of disinfectants and hygiene and personal hygiene products; and natural or legal persons that provide administration and cleaning services for horizontal property regimes;
- Restaurants with self-service, who may provide service only through the window;
- Kitchens of restaurants that have home service and companies that are dedicated to home service;
- Supermarkets, hypermarkets, mini-supermarkets, markets and grocery stores;
- Hotels, hostels and pensions for accommodation and food to the room of your guests or patients;
- Agricultural industry, inputs and agricultural machinery; companies that carry out agricultural harvesting work; Livestock, poultry, pig and aquaculture farms. Likewise, the service of mobilization and transport of animals, agricultural products and supplies;
- Agri-food industry, including distribution centers for food, beverages, bottled water and tanks for the distribution of drinking water;
- Processing plants, packing plants, food and beverage distributors, and packaging and packaging companies;
- Security and securities transport companies;
- Power generation, transmission, distribution and operation industry;
- Gas stations and distribution, supply and transportation companies for liquid and gaseous fuels;
- Maritime and logistics transport, including services and repair to ships, ports; cargo transportation for import and export, cargo transportation equipment maintenance workshops;
- Operational personnel required to preserve the air transport, cargo and passenger industry, aircraft maintenance, support equipment and simulators, aircraft security and facilities and technological infrastructure technical support;
- Operational personnel of car rental companies that provide services to government entities, and companies included in the exceptions of this Executive Decree;
- Companies dedicated to the air, passenger, maritime and land cargo industry of import, export, supplies and ports;
- Telecommunications companies, internet and telephone providers (fixed and mobile), as well as technology companies that are suppliers of equipment, supply and maintenance to State institutions and companies that are authorized to operate in this Decree; as well as its distributors, only for the purposes of supplying the former;
- Mass media, including radio, television, cable operators, newspapers and their distributors;
- Companies dedicated to the provision of private security services;
- Banks, finance companies, pawn shops, cooperatives, insurance, providers of electronic transaction processing, checks and images to financial institutions and other financial services;
- Companies that provide the following public services:
- Call Centers.
- Funeral homes, cremation rooms, cemeteries.
- Companies that provide label printing service for food, medicine, medical supplies, hygiene and cleaning products; and those dedicated to printing telecommunication cards.
- Laundries that provide services to medical-sanitary facilities.
- Companies dedicated to the service of collection, treatment and disposal of solid and hospital waste and their subcontractors.
- Companies and natural persons dedicated to the home delivery service of food, medicine; and food prepared by restaurant kitchens that provide home delivery, as well as those that provide services to public entities.
- Technology companies that supply the State through the Marco Agreement and their wholesalers.
- Companies dedicated to the sale and distribution of medical-hospital equipment, medicines, vaccines and any other articles and supplies of public health, including manufacturers, suppliers and maintenance thereof;
- Companies dedicated to the maintenance and repair of elevators, water tanks, power plants and gas installations;
- Work activities that are developed by virtual means or teleworking;
- The specific companies and activities whose reactivation, operation and mobilization is authorized by the Ministry of Health;
- Controllers of domestic, industrial and / or maritime pests (fumigators);
- Hardware stores.
Home delivery services used for the sale of food and medicines may operate until 10:00 p.m.
The establishments that operate during the mobility restriction, the curfew and the total quarantine, should comply with the biosafety guidelines described in Resolution No. 405 of May 11, 2020 and the Health Guidelines issued by the Ministry of Health.
CAMERA MARÍTIMA DE PANAMA DEMONSTRATES IN DISAGREEMENT WITH THE NEW TOTAL QUARANTINE
The Panama Maritime Chamber through a statement issued this afternoon raised its position of disagreement against the new total quarantine decreed by the Ministry of Health (Minsa) from January 4 to 14.
The Chamber expresses in advance its concern about the increase in the number of cases and the increase in deaths due to COVID-19, and reiterates the importance of citizens taking the widely-publicized biosecurity measures to stop contagion.
In addition, they assure that the companies unionized in the Chamber rigorously comply with the biosecurity protocols dictated by the Minsa to avoid contagion in their collaborators and users and, therefore, they have worked uninterruptedly throughout the pandemic period, meeting the needs of important sector of the Panamanian economy.
“That is why we express our disagreement with the measure disclosed by the Minister of Health in a press conference last night, declaring another total quarantine without working hours from January 4 to 14, 2021, without having presented a concrete plan to deal with to the pandemic in a forceful and definitive way by the National Government, “the statement states.
However, despite the fact that the maritime and logistics sectors do not cease their work, the Chamber indicates that the suppliers of its companies are Panamanian private traders whose operations will be suspended, directly affecting not only this sector, but also the already deteriorated one. national economy.
With this pronouncement, the Chamber expresses its solidarity with the country’s businessmen, merchants and workers and demands from the National Government a deep introspection on the actions taken, conscientiously analyzing the failures and weaknesses of the health system and planning in the short, medium and long term. sanitary measures consistent with the economic reality of Panama.
Cámara Marítima de Panamá se manifiesta en desacuerdo con la nueva cuarentena total
ENCOURAGE THE USE OF THE FACIAL SCREEN IN PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION
The Ministry of Health (Minsa) urged the population to use the facial screen in crowded places, mainly in public transport where it is difficult to keep physical distance.
The director of Health Promotion of the entity, Gabriela García de Salazar, said that the effectiveness of this implement in conjunction with the mask goes up to 99% protection. She also recalled the importance of other personal self-care measures such as constant hand washing or the use of alcoholic gel.
For users of public transport – whether taxi, pirate buses, Metro, Metrobús – the MA-PA mechanism (mask and screen) would be the most recommended and even mandatory to reduce the probability of contagion by Covid-19.
She recalled that protective masks should be cleaned with soap and water at least three times a day.
The official also said that strategies will be reinforced with the distribution of face screens in all health regions nationwide.
Exhortan al uso de la pantalla facial en el transporte público
SANITARY FENCES ARE MAINTAINED UNTIL JANUARY 14
The health control points that are in force until January 4 will be extended until next January 14, 2021.
This was reported this Sunday by the Minister of Health, Luis Francisco Sucre, who announced a new quarantine to contain the cases of COVID-19 in Panama.
In addition to the sanitary fences, an 8:00 p.m. curfew was also announced. to 5:00 a.m.
For the interior of the country, the curfew will be 7:00 p.m.
Mobility during the day will be restricted by gender and termination of the personal identity card number.
Since last December 23, sanitary fences have been operating in the El Lago sector in Capira, Divisa, La Villa, Chagres and Viguí.
In addition, the closure of beaches, rivers and spas was ordered.
To cross a fence it is necessary to have a work card that justifies its mobilization or a note issued by the Ministry of Health, which has important data for the National Police to carry out the verifications.
Cercos sanitarios se mantienen hasta el 14 de enero
CSS HEALTH STAFF HOLIDAYS SUSPENDED
The general medical director of the Arnulfo Arias Madrid hospital complex of the Social Security Fund (CSS), José Croston, sent a memorandum that reports the suspension of vacations for health personnel.
The provision, in the midst of the new coronavirus pandemic, will govern until further notice.
On December 20, the general director of the CSS, Enrique Lau Cortés, had already announced that a communication on this matter will be issued.
“We are in a time of national emergency and we are trying to keep the highest number of active health officials,” said Lau Cortés.
Suspenden vacaciones del personal de salud de la CSS
CLOSE TO 100 PEOPLE HAVE DIED FROM COVID-19 AT THEIR HOME IN PANAMA
The director of the metropolitan health region, Israel Cedeño, reported this Monday that the reports of people dying in their residences in Panama, due to COVID-19, are close to 100.
In this sense, the doctor said that the virus is too aggressive, to the point that those infected were rapidly getting worse.
“One hundred people have died from coronavirus at home. The most important thing to emphasize in the death of people from COVID at home is that the virus is aggressive. Many of these 100 certified patients were people who took the sample on Monday, Tuesday We notified them of their results, but within 24 hours they began to feel bad, they called, we went to evaluate them and when we arrived they had died, “Cedeño said in an interview with Telemetro Reporta.
The doctor, who suffered from coronavirus in early December and required hospital management, warned that you have to be careful, because there are still people who feel bad and do not want to take the swab or do not want to receive medical attention.
On the other hand, the doctor referred to the restrictions that will begin to apply in Panama and Panama Oeste from January 4, 2021.
According to Cedeño, there are still some points that must be discussed regarding the businesses that will remain open, although in the case of the airport, he said that the Minister of Health, Luis Francisco Sucre, did not mention it.
“The minister did not mention closing airports or restricting international mobility, health teams continue to verify the people who are entering,” he said.
For her part, the national director of Public Health of the Ministry of Health (Minsa), Nadja Porcell, said that the banks will remain open.
“The banks will not be closed. The companies that were part of the first decree, which were validated, such as supermarkets, banks and pharmacies are within this group,” Porcell said.
In the case of people who require medications, Porcell recommended acquiring medications early to avoid having to leave the emergency room during times of restrictions.
Cerca de 100 personas han muerto por COVID-19 en sus casas en Panamá
MINISTER ZAPATA: THE EFFECTS OF THE DECREE ORDERING THE GRADUAL REACTIVATION OF SUSPENDED CONTRACTS WILL BE SUSPENDED
The Minister of Labor and Labor Development, Doris Zapata, announced this Monday, December 28, that, in view of the measures issued to restrict mobility by gender and ID – from January 4 to 14 – the effects of Decree 229 will have to be suspended. December 15, 2020.
Through this decree, signed by President Laurentino Cortizo and Minister Zapata, the mechanism that companies must use to reactivate the contracts of their workers, suspended as a result of the pandemic, was established. In general terms, it was determined that the companies would start with the reactivation of a minimum of 20% of the total of the suspended workers at the time of the reopening and will gradually call them in the coming months. However, the gradual nature of the workers’ call will depend on the sector in which the company operates.
As a result of the new sanitary provisions announced on Sunday, it will be necessary to do a “rethinking”, reported Zapata, in statements to Telemetro Reporta.
In the morning news, the official recalled that the Labor Code is clear and establishes that “hours worked, hours paid.” “If we suspend due to a health decision, a decision of the health authority, we cannot punish companies to recognize a salary payment in the middle of a reactivation and recovery,” he explained.
Thus, Zapata indicated that once the suspension of the contract is established, the benefit of Panama Solidario is entered into, “which we have been guaranteeing.”
However, the minister recalled that there are other alternatives, such as teleworking and early vacations.
“The pandemic has not ended” and until the vaccines against the new coronavirus arrive, measures will have to be taken, the official warned in turn. This, in order to establish a return to economic activities “because we have workers who go for a year, in March, to be suspended,” added the minister.
“It is necessary to continue to comply with the reactivation of contracts, establishing the reality of each of the economic activities,” she insisted.
In that sense, she recognized that micro and small businesses continue to be impacted, as is the tourism sector. However, she said that “we also have companies that have not stopped working”, so we must find guarantees that these workers can return to their jobs.
She said that the reality of each of the companies is something that has been palpable: a company that opened 3 months ago is not the same as another that opened 6 to 7 months ago.
“We hope, as the National Government, that these days that we can have these measures indicate to us in the end positive objectives for us to be able to resume the measures we have been establishing,” he emphasized.
END NOTES
We’re constantly looking for the good in everything around us. It’s hard to do that with the constant changes and depths of uncertainty that goes along with it. But, we’ll take every bit of happy moments we can and yesterday was my youngest boy’s birthday. Brandon Mikkelson has just turned a whopping 11 years old! Keeping our celebrations within the Curundu party limits of less than 200 people, we decided to only invite “Mom”, Aunty Suseth and Brandon’s cousin Susany who are also keeping themselves under lock and key to avoid Mom from getting COVID.
We went along with our more recent tradition and made a cake in house. Usually we would buy the Betty Crocker frosting, but forgot it. So instead, I took real cream, whipped that up, added a little sugar and melted 70% dark chocolate – it turned out fluffy and amazing. Who would have thought that frosting could have been that easy and awesome??
There were games and puzzles and presents. Brandon’s favorite was a shirt that I got him “11 years of being awesome”, hahaha – he’s quite an amazing kid.
Sometimes you just have to let your mind take a break from the horrors of the world and focus on the beauty that immediately surrounds you.
Stay safe… Stay healthy… And by all means (unless you’re one of the essential businesses, which I highly doubt) STAY HOME!!…
